I'm a cynic. My cynicism is mostly grounded in the abstract; what I've heard and read about other people's lives. But today I had a direct encounter that roots my cynicism in my own experience. It was with an average adult who was profoundly ignorant about matters of society, insurance, and health. It shouldn't have surprised me, but it did, hence this diary.
I'm periodically self employed. My COBRA coverage from a previous full-time job had run out, so I recently bought an individual policy. Because I have glaucoma, I was "rated" with a pre-existing condition, so for now I have no coverage for the disease.
I see an ophthalmologist annually for checkups, but due to lack of coverage, decided to cancel this year's appointment. I called the clinic's appointments desk, and explained. The woman I talked with said there was no need to cancel. She had never heard of payment denial for pre-existing conditions. She told me that all insurance companies paid for medical treatment, whether you had a medical condition prior to your coverage or not. She thought I didn't understand how insurance worked. All this in that condescending tone that the informed use with the uninformed.
I was speechless. Here was a working adult, a medical clinic employee no less, who had never heard of pre-ex denials under individual health plans. I asked her if she had always had group health insurance, and of course she had. Once I explained to her how individual policies worked, including rescissions, she was shocked. She had no idea such a thing was legal.
But here's the kicker: After she finally understood the situation, she said, "The problem is all these illegal aliens. They get all the benefits and we get nothing."
This woman is representative of millions of working adults across the country. They are not stupid, but they have no idea what is going on. If they vote at all, they vote for the conservative with the slick TV ad. They are the reason that absurd and corrupt politicians continue to hold power. They are the root of the problem. They are the public.
Those of you who keep fighting for a rational health care system, my hat's off to you. I don't know how you keep going in the face of such overwhelming ignorance.